A Los Angeles Times article, here, had characterized the Japanese as animals, juxtaposing them specifically to “vipers” (Fryer, 83). That instant typified the mood of the nation — after all, the Japanese were portrayed as savages by the Federal Government. But, those words soon shaped Miné Okubo’s reality. When she first arrived to camp, she was assigned to a horse stall — that room became her home for the next few years. It was a “20 by 9 ft stall,” where hay and manure littered the floor (Okubo, 35).
Farewell to Manzanar, a historical memoir, delivers an inspiring perspective on how Japanese were treated at their time in internment. This book is highly recommended for students who are in curiosity to learn more about the Pearl Harbor bombing and how the Japanese were affected by the way they had to live. While reviewing this book, it was noticed that there was excellent content, sources and perspectives. The author also had an interesting background that inspired her to write this memoir. Although life at Manzanar seemed unbearable and tough, the memoir also describes how the Wakatsukis’ transition from their childhood memories and how they think of Mazanar as adults; especially Jeanne.
Their “Dual” endeavor is to win the war, not only with the enemy abroad but also with the racism at the home front. Takaki’s use of anecdotal narratives does much to illustrate the America in the 1940s, demonstrating the degree to which America was a white man’s country. In addition to this, Takaki shows the wartime responses from a variety of ethnic groups: Koreans, Japanese, Jewish, Filipinos, African Americans, and Italians. Among these groups, Takaki discusses about Japanese Americans in a full chapter, concluding with an examination of Hiroshima as a clear expression of racism.
In When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka (Otsuka). we see how five different Japanese Americans live through times of Internment and the struggles they face. An interview with Julie Otsuka and Gene Oishi helps us learn more about her and her family’s experiences during internment and personal connections to the book. “The Public “I” of Julie Otsuka” by John Streamas (Streamas).
Walker does not just take the reader on a tour of the decision-making process of President Truman and shows what made him to order the use of Atomic bombs on Japan, but he also provide an exploration of the historical situation that prompted the decision. He also examines the viewpoint of the Japanese, not only regarding the impact of the bombings on their ultimate decision to surrender, but also how their Allies called for an unconditional surrender. This call could possibly have led to the Japanese Emperor, Hirohito, being tried on counts of war crimes, which may have possibly made the Japanese to be reluctant on surrendering even in light of a crushing defeat (Huczko). Samuel Walker also provides useful insights into contribution made by the decision to use Atomic weapons on Japanese decision to surrender.
The experiences of Louis Zamperini and Jeanne Wakatsuki both do not complicate Mark Weber’s idea of the Good War about the clear-cut morality between the United States and Japan. During World War II, the United States treated the American Japanese harshly opposed to Japan’s treatment. Towards Japanese American civilians, who lived in America and had nothing to do with the war, they were treated unfairly by Americans. Environmentally, it was harsh for American prisoners of war as it was for the Japanese Americans when hate was evident in their captors’ eyes. Involving innocent civilians as the consequence for living in the United States while having no involvement in the war opposed to punishing those involved with the military showed a clear
In the movies Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, they both include different stories about World War II. Both movies describe the backstory on the war and how it would affect their country if they had lost or won the war. In each of the movies, they have a different story. One has a dedication for the fighters who lost their lives putting up their victory flag. The other movie explains the backstory of how they were to get ready for war and prep their land and country.
Japanese Americans constantly had an urge to go home, but they had to stay in the miserable camp with terrible conditions and qualities. They wanted to go home so badly and live a normal life with their families, but they could not. Moreover, struggles between these groups also show differences. “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” This opening line of Lincoln’s address tells us that Americans should treat others the same. However, during the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War, Americans fought themselves “breaking the rules”.
When learning about and analyzing acts of mass atrocity during World War II, hundreds if not thousands of questions can be asked trying to gain a deeper understanding for their actions. Probably one of the most intriguing thoughts to ponder is what leads individuals and societies as a whole to descend to such a level of cruelty. According to the author of Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand, one reason may be, “Few societies treasured dignity, and feared humiliation, as did the Japanese, for whom a loss of honor could merit suicide. This is likely one of the reasons why Japanese soldiers in World War II debased their prisoners with such zeal, seeking to take from them that which was most painful and destructive to lose” (189). To elaborate, the Japanese
During the last three years of World War II approximately 120,000 Japanese-American people were forcibly detained and put in internment camps. The stories of the people put in these camps aren’t well known despite this being an extremely important part of the U.S past. But the novel When the Emperor was Divine tells a fictionalized version of the camps based on the experiences of people in the camps. The characters in this novel were alienated from the outside world and this took a toll on them. All of the characters reacted to this differently but in the end the trauma was long-lasting.
The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest battles of World War Two. Iwo Jima had air stips that both the United States and the Japanese wanted to help them during World War Two. This battle did not end up going exactly as planned for either country. Both countries had their own strategy but neither succeeded. The Battle of Iwo Jima is an important battle to know about when discussing World War Two.
“Mary Tsukamoto once said ‘I knew it would leave a scar that would stay with me forever. At that moment my precious freedom was taken from me’” (Martin 54). The Betrayal. The attack on Pearl Harbor.
CHAPTER THREE AN ANALYSIS OF SELECTED CONTEMPORARY HOLLYWOOD WAR MOVIES IN TERMS OF RACISM My goal of this chapter is to analyse selected Hollywood war movies in terms of racism and other racial prejudices. I will examine as follows: Glory (1989) which deals with African American Civil War troops, Windtalkers (2002) which centres around Pacific War and Navajo code talkers, The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) which portrays British soldiers in Japanese captivity. The last two movies Flags of Our Fathers (2006) and Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) were shot simultaneously, by the same director Clint Eastwood, and both tell the same story about the invasion of Iwo Jima through the eyes of an American and Japanese soldier. In all those movies, non-white characters are portrayed stereotypically, negatively and face various types of prejudice or racism despite being often equally important to the storyline.
10 BIZARRE TRADITIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD From funny to glory, rituals from around the world could leave one shell-shocked. With innumerable races and ethnicities populating the face of the Earth, the rituals are in plenty and a list of the weird, wacky, unbelievable ones are compiled here. Take a look. 1.
Clint Eastwood’s “Letters from Iwo Jima” is a Japanese-American war film based on the American invasion and subsequent Japanese defence on the island of Iwo Jima. The protagonists of the movie are General Tadamichi Kuribayashi played by Ken Watanabe, and the fictional character Saigo, played by Kazunari Ninomiya. The movie shows the Japanese perspective of the defence on the island of Iwo Jima, to prevent the Americans from achieving a launching point for an invasion of mainland Japan. It follows Kuribayashi struggle to command his troops and defend the island. Meanwhile, it follows Saigo’s struggle to survive the ensuing onslaught to return home to his wife and child.
